The farming industry is continuing to follow the long established trend of fewer farmers working more land. Because farmers still have to seed their entire crop in the same window of time, they must find equipment that will allow them to accomplish their seeding within the window as efficiently as possible. Other recent trends include farmers seeding a large number of crop types, accomplishing chemical application--fertilizing and seeding in one pass and side banding the fertilizer from the seed. Farmers use air seeders to perform these functions because of the ease of filling, unloading, transport, and the low cost of maintenance.
In the present seeder designs there are generally two compartments although from time to time a third, individual and separate compartment has been added. The problem is that the design does not really lend itself to anything other than applying herbicide or broadcasting fine seeds with the third tank. Often one hopper bin would not be used at all for particular operations.